A Refutation of the doubt that Shaykh Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Wahhaab made takfeer of Muslims

The second doubt is that they say the Shaykh (Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Wahhaab) made takfeer of the Muslims. We say:

Who are the Muslims who the Shaykh declared to be kuffar? Clarify to us!

If you mean that the Shaykh declared the grave-worshippers to be disbelievers; then these people have been declared disbelievers by Allah! And the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon him, declared them to be disbelievers! And the scholars of the Muslims have declared them to be disbelievers with consensus. Thus the one who invokes other than Allah, worships other than Allah, or seeks deliverance from other than Allah... from the dead and seeks protection with the shrines and graves, or worships with innovations and superstitions and deviates away from the Sunnah of the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him; then the Shaykh, may Allah have mercy upon him, was not alone in declaring him to be a disbeliever and to be misguided. Rather, Allah has declared him to be a disbeliever in the Qur’an, and the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, declared him to be a disbeliever in the Sunnah, and the Muslim scholars have declared him to be a disbeliever by consensus. That the one who invokes other than Allah, or slaughters for other than Allah, or makes a vow for other than Allah, or seeks deliverance from the dead.... or seeks deliverance from the dead and performs Tawaaf (circumambulation) around their graves and seeks aid from them; such a person is a mushrik! According to the Shaykh and according to others from the Imams.

So the Shaykh didn’t unrightfully declare him to be a disbeliever. He didn’t declare any true Muslim to be a disbeliever; someone who says ‘La Ilaha illa Allah’ truly, and worships Allah and does not associate partners with Allah. He didn’t declare any Muslim to be a disbeliever and to Allah belong all praises! So their statement that the Shaykh declared Muslims to be disbelievers has been proven false. We say: No! He only declared the mushrikeen (the polytheists) to be disbelievers.

His books are available, his refutations are known, and his speech is written down; that he did not declare to be a disbeliever except the one whom Allah declared to be a disbeliever in the Qur’an, or whom the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, declared to be a disbeliever in the Sunnah. Or whom the scholars have a consensus for declaring takfeer upon; and they are the worshippers of graves, who build upon the graves and worship them besides Allah, which is equal to (the worship of)...

{Al-Lat, and Al-’Uzza (two idols of the pagan Arabs). And Manat (another idol of the pagan Arabs), the other third.} [Surah An-Najm 53:19-20]

...and comparable also to the worship of idols which were in al-Jaahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance).

Allah the Majestic and Most High says:

{And they worship besides Allah things that hurt them not, nor profit them, and they say: "These are our intercessors with Allah." Say: "Do you inform Allah of that which He knows not in the heavens and on the earth?" Glorified and Exalted be He above all that which they associate as partners with Him!} [Surah Yunus 10:18]

He called it Shirk and He made Himself far and above and higher than it. And they say: “(they are our) Intercessors.” This is how the graveworshippers are today, they say: “We only want from them intercession so they intercede for us with Allah.” “We sacrifice for them, and seek their deliverance and we know that they don't possess anything, but we only want them to be our intercessors!” This is what the mushrikoon used to say before… it’s the same thing!

Allah the Perfect and Exalted says:

{And those who take Auliya' (protectors and helpers) besides Him} [Surah Az-Zumar 39:3]

He (Allah) the Majestic and Most High says:

{Surely, the religion (i.e. the worship and the obedience) is for Allah only. And those who take Auliya' (protectors and helpers) besides Him (say): "We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah." Verily, Allah will judge between them concerning that wherein they differ. Truly, Allah guides not him who is a liar, and a disbeliever.} [Surah Az-Zumar 39:3]

He (Allah) called them liars and declared them to be disbelievers! And they say:

{"We worship them only that they may bring us near to Allah."} [Surah Az-Zumar 39:3]

Look! They themselves admitted that they worship them! Is the one who worships other than Allah… is he a Muslim? Huh? They admitted saying:

{"We worship them!”} [Surah Az-Zumar 39:3]

They admitted that they worship them and whoever worships other than Allah is a disbeliever! And this is what the Shaykh and what other than him from the Imams of Islam have said. So he never declared any Muslim to be a disbeliever, and to Allah belong all praises. He only declared the mushrikeen to be disbelievers; those who worship other than Allah the Mighty and Majestic, and they sacrifice and make vows, and perform tawaaf (circumambulation) and they seek deliverance from the dead. This is the one whom the Shaykh declared to be a disbeliever, and he was not the only one to do so, may Allah have mercy upon him. He only called to that which the Messenger, may peace and blessings be upon him, called towards, from calling to Tawheed and forbidding of Shirk.

Allah the Majestic and Most High says:

{Worship Allah and join none with Him in worship} [Surah An-Nisa’ 4:36]

{And We did not send any Messenger before you (O Muhammad) but We inspired him (saying): La ilaha illa Ana [none has the right to be worshipped but I (Allah)], so worship Me (Alone and none else)."} [Surah Al-Anbiya’ 21:25]

This is what the Shaykh called towards; the worship of Allah alone and the prohibition of worshipping other than Him. And this is the meaning of ‘La ilaha illa Allah’, its meaning is an-Nafy (negation) and al-Ithbaat (affirmation); the negation of Shirk and the affirmation of Tawheed. Is this not the meaning of ‘La ilaha illa Allah’? This is the call of the Shaykh; he forbade Shirk and ordered with Tawheed. Is this declaring takfeer upon the Muslims? This is declaring takfeer upon the kuffar! Those who worship other than Allah the Mighty and Majestic...

And here they are now...it is present right now! It is present right now their act at the graves and shrines. So how then can they be mistaken! ِAnd they are, now, upon what the Jaahiliyyah was upon, in the time of Abu Lahab and Abu Jahl! They are upon what the Jaahiliyyah was upon! They worship other than Allah the Mighty and Majestic and invoke other than Allah. Completely as the Jaahiliyyah was upon! In fact, worse than what the people of al-Jaahiliyyah were upon!

SubhanAllah! They say: “you are declaring us to be disbelievers”, yet they worship other than Allah! Is the one who invokes other than Allah... is he a disbeliever or is he a Muslim? Everyone will say that he is a disbeliever, and that he is a mushrik. These people say: “No! We want to stay upon what we are upon and you don’t say anything to us, and whoever says anything then he is declaring the Muslims to be disbelievers!”

The Shaykh, Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Wahhaab, may Allah have mercy upon him, was not alone in this. Rather, this is the call of the Messengers and the call of the Imams after them. He did not call to anything outside the call of the Messengers, and that is the call to Tawheed (singling out Allah alone in worship) and the prohibition of Shirk.

Shaykh Saalih bin Fawzaan Al-Fawzaan, may Allah preserve him

Translated by Salafi-Dawah.com.Use the player below or download the MP3 here.